PROGNOSTIC LIMITATION TO FUEL CELL POWER OUTPUT FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCY IN MOBILE MACHINE
Operating a machine includes supplying electric power from a fuel cell to a power bus connected to an electric motor and an energy storage device in a machine operated at a work site, and determining an expected efficiency gain condition based on at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine. Operating a machine further includes prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell based on the determining an expected efficiency gain condition, and charging the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition using at least one of a regenerative energy device or the fuel cell. The energy storage device may be discharged during prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell so as to share a load demand of the power bus between the fuel cell and the energy storage device. Related apparatus and control logic is also disclosed.
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The present disclosure relates generally to operating a mobile machine with electric power from a fuel cell and an energy storage device, and more particularly to prognostically limiting a power output of a fuel cell based on determining an expected efficiency gain condition.
BACKGROUNDA great many different configurations are known in the field of power systems for mobile machines. Mobile machines powered by combustion engines running on hydrocarbon fuels have been in widespread use throughout the world for well over a century. In recent decades interest in reducing various emissions as well as utilizing alternative fuel resources has driven the development of hybrid systems splitting or sharing power between electric motors and combustion engines, or employing a combustion engine to produce electric power, for example. More recently machines that are fully electric have entered the market.
Fuel cells consume hydrogen or another fuel source such as an alcohol fuel or traditional hydrocarbon fuel to generate electricity. Most systems employing a fuel cell, either as part of a hybrid design, or in a fully electric system, also utilize an energy storage device typically a battery. The fuel cell is commonly arranged to provide electric power for operating the machine a majority of the time as well as maintaining a charge of the machine's on-board battery. Batteries have been demonstrated to effectively provide, or assist in providing, fast transient response to load changes as well as supplementing peak power loads. Fuel cells in these systems are often controlled to maintain charge of the battery such that between the battery and the fuel cell the total power can be provided to the machine that is desired at any given time. In certain instances, however, consumption of fuel for the fuel cell can be deemed excessive given that fuel cell efficiency tends to vary as a function of output power, which may be less than optimally regulated. United States Patent Application Publication No. 20160111743A1 to Votoupal is directed to a method of generating power with a fuel cell. The Votoupal methodology could be implemented in any of a variety of machine applications.
SUMMARYIn one aspect, a method of operating a machine includes supplying electric power from a fuel cell to a power bus connected to an electric motor and an energy storage device in a machine operated at a work site, and determining an expected efficiency gain condition based on at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine. The method further includes prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell based on the determining an expected efficiency gain condition, and charging the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
In another aspect, a power system for a machine includes a fuel cell, an energy storage device, and a power bus electrically connected to the fuel cell and the energy storage device. The power system further includes a power system control unit coupled to the fuel cell and the energy storage device. The power system control unit is structured to receive at least one of terrain data of a work site or machine activity data of a machine, and to determine an expected efficiency gain condition based on the at least one of the terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine. The power system control unit is further structured to prognostically limit a power output of the fuel cell based on the determined expected efficiency gain condition, and to charge the energy storage device, using at least one of regenerative electric power from a regenerative energy device of the machine or electric power supplied by the fuel cell, during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
In still another aspect, a control system for a power system in a machine includes a power system control unit structured for coupling to a fuel cell and an energy storage device each electrically connected to a power bus in a power system in a machine. The power system control unit is further structured to receive at least one of terrain data of a work site or machine activity data of the machine, to receive location data of the machine, and to determine an expected efficiency gain condition based on the location data and the at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine. The power system control unit is further structured to prognostically limit a power output of the fuel cell based on the determined expected efficiency gain condition, and to charge the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
Referring to
Machine 8 further includes a power system 18. Power system 18 can include an entirely electric power system such that machine 8 is operated entirely or substantially entirely upon electric power, although various hybrid systems may fall within the scope of the present disclosure. A transmission 20 is shown coupled to power system 18 and may be operated to vary machine 8 amongst several different gear ratios for propulsion. Machine 8 could be autonomously operated, semi-autonomously operated, or manually operated. As will be further apparent from the following description, machine 8 is contemplated for extended range operation and increased efficiency in comparison with certain known strategies.
Referring also now to
Power system 18 further includes a power control system 24. Power control system 24 includes a power control unit 50 and a computer readable memory 31. Power control system 24 may also include a receiver or antenna 29 that receives machine position data relative to operating machine 8 and navigating machine 8 at work site 9, for example. Power control unit 50 can include any suitable electronic control unit having a central processing unit, such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller, or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). Computer readable memory 31 stores executable program instructions as well as various data of or relating to machine 8 or to work site 9, which may be dynamic or non-dynamic data as further discussed herein, as well as various maps, tables, and other information used in operating machine 8 and controlling power system 18. Computer readable memory 31 can be any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, including RAM, ROM, DRAM, SDRAM, EEPROM, FLASH, or still another. Power control unit 50 can be resident on machine 10 as illustrated. In other embodiments, power control unit 50 could be off-board and located upon another working machine, at a site management trailer, or remote from the work site entirely.
Also shown in
Fuel cell efficiency can vary as a function of output power as noted above. It has been observed that operating a fuel cell such as fuel cell 23 at partial load will consume less fuel, in the illustrated case hydrogen, over the course of a work cycle. Thus, if the performance requirements for operating machine 8 can be satisfied by operating fuel cell 23 at a partial load, less fuel will be consumed and a range of machine 8 or other measure of capability can be extended. It has also been observed that if battery charge is fully maintained even where unnecessary, the capacity for capturing regenerative energy is limited. The present disclosure balances these factors by selectively operating fuel cell 23 at a reduced or limited power output, at times, and selectively load sharing with energy storage device 26, at times, to take advantage of regenerative energy opportunities that would otherwise be lost or less than fully realized. Power system 18, and power system control unit 50 in particular, may be structured to control an electric power output of fuel cell 23 while also selectively controlling charging and discharging energy storage device 26 to best take advantage of various opportunities for harvesting regenerative energy and operating fuel cell 23 at partial load while still satisfying performance requirements.
To this end, power system control unit 50 is coupled to fuel cell 23 and energy storage device 26, and structured to receive at least one of terrain data of work site 9 or machine activity data of machine 8. Terrain data in this context may include previously stored data indicative of locations, distance, and grade(s) of a travel path at work site 9 to be traversed by machine 8. Machine activity data can be data indicative of machine activities that are expected to take place such as raising bed 14, lowering bed 14, slowing a ground speed of machine 8 idling machine 8, or digging, dozing, or various other machine activities in different embodiments. Terrain data and potentially also machine activity data will typically be gathered on-site, such as by navigating machine 8 to perform a predefined work cycle and storing the data, or gathered from another machine such as service truck, a drone, or another fleet machine similar to machine 8, operated to scan and record properties or characteristics of work site 9. Power system control unit 50 may be further structured to determine an expected efficiency gain condition based on the at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of machine 8, and typically also based on machine location data. An expected efficiency gain condition means a scenario where at least one of fuel cell 23 or energy storage device 26 can be selectively operated as described herein to increase operational efficiency in terms of energy usage, speed, time, or still another measure of efficiency. Selective operation means reducing power output, increasing power output, turning on, turning off, charging, discharging. An expected efficiency gain condition can be a machine idling condition, or a regenerative energy availability condition such as descending a slope or braking machine 8, for example, as further discussed herein.
Power system control unit 50 may be further structured to prognostically limit a power output of fuel cell 23, based on the determined expected efficiency gain condition. This means that a power output of fuel cell 23 can be selectively limited in anticipation of a subsequent expected efficiency gain condition to be exploited. Power system control unit 50 is further structured to charge energy storage device 26, using at least one of regenerative electric power from a regenerative energy device of machine 8 or electric power supplied by fuel cell 23, during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition. Another way to understand this principle is that energy storage device 26 can be charged using electric power supplied by a regenerative energy device, or charged using electric power produced by fuel cell 23 directly, the significance of which will be further apparent from the following description. In the illustrated embodiment transmission 20 can operate as a regenerative energy device by operating electric motor 30 in a generator mode, for example. Individual wheel motors could analogously serve as a regenerative energy device, as well as components in a hydraulic system during lowering bed 14, for example. Those skilled in the art will contemplate still other regenerative energy devices and/or strategies that could be used.
Referring now to
From diagram 100 it can be seen that when machine 8 is climbing a grade (uphill segment 112), fuel cell power output is limited, and battery state of charge 140 is decreased, with energy storage device 26 discharging during prognostically limiting a power output of fuel cell 23 so as to share a load demand of power bus 28 between fuel cell 23 and energy storage device 26. In this way fuel cell 23 can be run at reduced power, allowing energy storage device 26 to share the load, and increase its energy storage capacity. It will be recalled that fuel cell operation can be more efficient at a partial power output. Accordingly, during the time that fuel cell power output is limited fuel cell 23 will be operating at a relatively higher efficiency. With battery state of charge 140 now reduced, when regenerative energy can be harvested such as during downhill segment 116 energy storage device 26 has the capacity to store harvested regenerative energy optimally. It can be seen from trace 142 that maintaining a battery state of charge at 80%, 90%, or another target level, would limit or eliminate the opportunity to capture the theoretically available regenerative energy. Thus, it will also be appreciated that the prognostic limitation to the power output of fuel cell 23 is occurring in advance of the regenerative energy availability condition occurring during downhill segment 116.
Referring now to
Referring to the drawings generally, but also now to
From block 330, flowchart 300 advances to a block 340 to determine an expected efficiency gain condition. As discussed herein determining an expected efficiency gain condition can include a determination that machine 8 is expected to traverse a segment of a route, such as a downhill segment, slow down, or arrive at an idling location, a dumping location, or otherwise satisfy a state where an efficiency gain can be realized. From block 340, flowchart 300 may advance to a block 350 to prognostically limit a power output of fuel cell 23 as described herein. From block 350, flowchart 300 may advance to a block 360 to discharge energy storage device 26. It will further be recalled that memory 31 stores site condition data including, potentially among other things, rolling resistance data, temperature data, or altitude data. Any or all of these types of data, and still others, can be information used by power system control unit 50 in prognostically limiting a power output of fuel cell 23 and/or charging or discharging energy storage device 26. Where a work site or part of a work site is expected to produce higher rolling resistance fuel cell 23 might be reduced in power output to a lesser relative extent than where rolling resistance is lower as machine power requirements might thereby be higher and regenerative energy availability lower. Ambient temperature and/or altitude may also affect machine power requirements, fuel cell or battery charging or discharging efficiency, or still other factors, and thus serve as bases for whether or the extent to which fuel cell power output is to be reduced and/or whether or the extent to which battery state of charge is to manipulated and exploited.
As discussed herein, discharging energy storage device 36 can include sharing a load demand of power bus 28 with fuel cell 23. It should be appreciated, however, that discharging energy storage device 26 could include discharging energy storage device 26 for purposes other than load sharing, such as operating a pump to pressurize an accumulator in a hydraulic system of machine 8, for instance. From block 360, flowchart 300 may advance to a block 370 to charge energy storage device 26 during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition. As discussed herein in connection with
The present description is for illustrative purposes only, and should not be construed to narrow the breadth of the present disclosure in any way. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications might be made to the presently disclosed embodiments without departing from the full and fair scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Other aspects, features and advantages will he apparent upon an examination of the attached drawings and appended claims, As used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the term “one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Claims
1. A method of operating a machine comprising:
- supplying electric power from a fuel cell to a power bus connected to an electric motor and an energy storage device in a machine operated at a work site;
- determining an expected efficiency gain condition based on at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine;
- prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell based on determining an expected efficiency gain condition; and
- charging the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein prognostically limiting a power output includes limiting the power output to a level that is greater than zero.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising discharging the energy storage device during prognostically limiting a power output of the fuel cell so as to share a load demand of the power bus between the fuel cell and the energy storage device.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein charging the energy storage device includes charging the energy storage device using electric power supplied by the fuel cell.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein determining an expected efficiency gain condition includes determining a machine idling condition.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the machine includes an off-highway hauling machine, and the machine idling condition includes a machine idling condition preceding one of a loading action or a dumping action.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein charging the energy storage device includes regeneratively charging the energy storage device.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the machine includes an off-highway hauling machine, and regeneratively charging the energy storage device includes regeneratively charging the energy storage device using braking energy.
9. The method of claim 3 wherein prognostically limiting a power output includes limiting the power output while the machine is climbing a grade.
10. A power system for a machine comprising:
- a fuel cell;
- an energy storage device;
- a power bus electrically connected with the fuel cell and the energy storage device; and
- a power system control unit coupled to the fuel cell and the energy storage device; the power system control unit is structured to: receive at least one of terrain data of a work site or machine activity data of a machine; determine an expected efficiency gain condition based on the at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine; prognostically limit a power output of the fuel cell based on the determined expected efficiency gain condition; and charge the energy storage device, using at least one of regenerative electric power from a regenerative energy device of the machine or electric power supplied by the fuel cell, during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
11. The power system of claim 10 wherein the fuel cell includes a hydrogen fuel cell and the energy storage device includes a battery.
12. The power system of claim 10 wherein the power system control unit is further structured to discharge the energy storage device to share a load demand of the power bus between the fuel cell and the energy storage device during the prognostic limitation to the power output of the fuel cell.
13. The power system of claim 12 wherein the expected efficiency gain condition includes a machine idling condition, and the power system control unit is further structured to charge the energy storage device using electric power supplied by the fuel cell during the machine idling condition.
14. The power system of claim 13 wherein the power system control unit is further structured to initiate the prognostic limitation to the power output in advance of the machine idling condition.
15. The power system of claim 12 wherein the expected efficiency gain condition includes a regenerative energy availability condition, and the power system control unit is further structured to charge the energy storage device using electric power supplied by a regenerative energy device of the machine.
16. The power system of claim 15 wherein the power system control unit is further structured to increase a charging capacity of the energy storage device, based on the discharging of the energy storage device, while the machine is climbing a grade, and to charge the energy storage device using electric power supplied by a regenerative energy device while the machine is subsequently descending a grade.
17. A control system for a power system in a machine comprising:
- a power system control unit structured for coupling with a fuel cell and an energy storage device each electrically connected to a power bus in a power system in a machine;
- the power system control unit being further structured to: receive at least one of terrain data of a work site or machine activity data of the machine; receive location data of the machine; determine an expected efficiency gain condition based on the location data and the at least one of terrain data of the work site or machine activity data of the machine; prognostically limit a power output of the fuel cell based on the determined expected efficiency gain condition; and charge the energy storage device during occurrence of the expected efficiency gain condition.
18. The control system of claim 17 further comprising a computer readable memory storing at least one of rolling resistance data, temperature data, or altitude data, and the power control unit is further structured to prognostically limit the power output of the fuel cell based on the at least one of rolling resistance data, temperature data, or altitude data.
19. The control system of claim 17 wherein the power system control unit is further structured to discharge the energy storage device to share a load demand of the power bus between the fuel cell and the energy storage device during the prognostic limitation to the power output of the fuel cell.
20. The control system of claim 17 wherein the efficiency gain condition includes a regenerative energy availability condition, and the power system control unit is further structured to:
- charge the energy storage device using electric power supplied by a regenerative energy device of the machine during the regenerative energy availability condition;
- determine a second expected efficiency gain condition that includes a machine idling condition; and
- charge the energy storage device using electric power supplied by the fuel cell during the machine idling condition.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 4, 2021
Publication Date: Apr 6, 2023
Patent Grant number: 11996537
Applicant: Caterpillar Inc. (Peoria, IL)
Inventor: Cameron Thomas Lane (Oro Valley, AZ)
Application Number: 17/492,986